Abstract  

This Background Paper reports on the various activities conducted by SCAR that are of potential interest to CCAMLR, with a focus on new activities.

The book on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE) was published in October 2009 and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) planning document has been finalized, the implementation of which will be supported by a Secretariat hosted in Australia.

Two new potential Scientific Research Programmes of relevance to CCAMLR activities are under development: Antarctic Ecosystems: Adaptations, Thresholds and Resilience (AntETR) and State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (AntEco). SCAR now has an Action Group on Ocean Acidification and an Expert Group on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment that will produce annual climate updates to both the ATCM and CCAMLR.

The SCAR-MarBIN data portal continues to gather information on marine biodiversity in the Antarctic, and the CPR Survey continues to grow with more countries contributing, particularly Brazil.

A joint CCAMLR/SCAR Action Group is proposed in order to improve the strategic partnership between the two organizations.